Not included :close International Flights | close Tips | close Taxes |close Drinks |close personnal expenses

mapMAP |Your trip on a interactive Mapcloud_downloadDOWNLOAD |All the information about your trip in PDF format to check anytime offlinehelp_outlineINFORMATION |All you need to know about your tripcard_travel MAKE THIS TOUR IN GROUPTravel in a small group (from 4 to 12 pers. Max), your trip will be guided by local English speaking guide and the departure date are organized by us.

Day 1. Santiago de Chile Arrival – city tourToday you arrive in Santiago. Once arrived in the International Airport of Santiago, our team will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel. After a short briefing, we start the city tour. The sights today include the old district, Club Hípico, the San Francisco church, the Government Palace, Main Square, Santa Lucía Hill, the San Cristóbal Hill from where we have a panoramic view of the city and last the most modern district in the city.

Day 2. Santiago - Valparaiso and Viña del Mar – SantiagoToday we visit Valparaiso and Viña del Mar. Nicknamed “The Jewel of the Pacific”, Valparaíso was declared a world heritage site based upon its improvised urban design and unique architecture. In 1996, the World Monuments Fund declared Valparaiso’s unusual system of funicular elevators (highly-inclined cable cars) one of the world’s 100 most endangered historical treasures and the city was declared a World Heritage Site in 2003. Built upon dozens of steep hillsides overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Valparaíso boasts a labyrinth of streets and cobblestone alleyways, embodying a rich architectural and cultural legacy. We continue to Viña del Mar which is Chile’s main tourist attraction and also known as “La Ciudad Jardin” (The Garden City). You can have lunch in one of the many seaside restaurants and in the afternoon we visit the town: the Casino which is one the oldest gambling establishments in South America, walk along the beach, Reñaca and of course the botanic garden Quinta Vergara where the biggest musical festival in Latin American is celebrated each year. We return to Santiago where the evening is free to enjoy the last day on the South American continent.

Day 3. Santiago – Calama – San Pedro de Atacama – Valle de la LunaAfter breakfast you are transferred to the airport for the flight to Calama (connecting in Santiago). After arrival to the airport of Calama you will be transferred to San Pedro de Atacama. In the afternoon we start the tour by visiting the Valle de la Luna. The Valle de la Luna was created through centuries with stone and sand formations in extraordinary colours and textures making it look similar to the surface of the moon. The valley is also considered one of the driest places on earth as some areas have not received rain in hundreds of years. We will see the salt statues “Las Tres Marias”, the salt mine and the salt caverns and from a large sand dune we can really appreciate the view of the valley.

Day 4. San Pedro de Atacama – Tatio Geyser field – Valle de la Luna – San Pedro de Atacama We leave very early to visit the enormous geyser field “Los Géiseres del Tatio”. With over 80 active geysers it is the largest geyser field in the southern hemisphere. We have breakfast on the site before heading back to San Pedro de Atacama by the village Machuca. In the afternoon we visit the Valle de la Luna which was created through the centuries by floods and winds giving it an extraordinary colour and texture. The valley is also considered one of the driest places on earth, as some areas have not received a single drop of rain in hundreds of years!! We return to San Pedro de Atacama and the rest of the evening is free.*

* Depending on the season and the weather, the itinerary will change and there are some sights which are not always accessible!

Day 5. San Pedro de Atacama – Salar de Tara – San Pedro de Atacama After breakfast we leave to visit the Salar de Tara which is only accessible by 4WD. The Salar de Tara is located approx. 100 km from San Pedro de Atacama in the National Reserve Los Flamencos and is probably one of the most impressive landscapes on the Altiplano. Situated at 4300m of altitude the salar is surrounded by volcanoes and we’ll see numerous volcanic rock formations, created by centuries of erosion, which present some particular formations; Guardianes de la Pacana (the guards of the Pacana), which are enormous stone pillars that rise vertically and lonely from the deserts sand, or the Farallón de Tara (craggy stone). After this impressive visit we return to San Pedro de Atacama and the evening is free.*

* Depending on the season and the weather, the itinerary will change and there are some sights which are not always accessible!

Day 6. Lagunas Altiplánicas – Salar de AtacamaThe tour starts from San Pedro de Atacama and the first stop is the village Toconao. We then continue to Socaire which is a small village situated in 3500m and is considered the viewpoint of the Salar de Atacama. From here we continue to the lakes Miscanti and Meñiques which are part of the Los Flamencos National Reserve. We continue to the smaller salt flats Capur, Talar and Tuyaito before returning to San Pedro de Atacama.

Day 7. Puritama Hot Springs – Astronomical TourIn the morning we start with a visit to the Puritama Hot Springs where we can enjoy the hot water in natural swimming pools. The hot water sources are located in 3475m and officially opened for tourism a few years ago - they still maintain their natural and wild side. We return to San Pedro de Atacama around 13h00 and the afternoon is free to relax before the tour in the evening. You can maybe visit the Pukará de Quitor which is located just a few kilometers out of town. SPACE has the largest park of telescopes of any public observatory in South America and they offer you the best possible view of the southern skies. Please note that this tour is not available during the few days of full moon.

Day 8. San Pedro de Atacama – Salta City TourEarly in the morning, we will be transferred to the bus terminal to take the bus to Salta. During the course we will see impressive landscapes and colorful mountains. The bus will stop at Susques where we will need to follow the formalities to cross the Chileo-Argentinian border. We will arrive in Salta at night.

Day 9. Salta – Cachi – Molinos – CafayateEarly in the morning, we leave to drive to the small village of Cachi. From Salta the road offers a nice landscape composed with forests, canyons « Quebradas », rivers and high mountains. The road goes through « La cuesta del Obispo » and up to 3348 m where we can appreciate a full view on the valley. Then we continue on la « Recta de Tin Tin », ancient road use by the Incas et goes to the national park « Los Cardones » where we can observe the Mountain Cachi 6380 m. Cachi village is located at the bottom of this mountain and we will visit and discover the church classified National Historic Monument. We will be also able to walk around Cachi or visit the Cachi historic museum. Later we will drive on the R.N 40 and visit Colte the handcraft road and the village of Seclantás, Molinos, San Carlos located in the « Quebrada de las Flechas » and its wonderful landscape. We will spend the night in Cafayate famous for its white wine Torrontes.

Note : 295 km, around 6 hours driving

Day 10. Cafayate – Quebrada de las Conchas – SaltaToday we will discover the impressive and marvelous « Quebrada de las Conchas » where we will enjoy the sight of several geologic phenomenon. We will go back to the hotel in Salta at the end of the afternoon.

Day 11. Salta - Salinas grandes – PurmamarcaAround 08:00, we will go to Purmamarca ("virgin land town" in Aymara) via San Antonio de Cobres and Salinas Grandes. Purmamarca is a village in the Jujuy region, and the most picturesque to see in the "Quebrada Humahuaca". It is surrounded by multicolored mountains called "Cerro de los siete colores" (Mountain with seven colors). The vast "Quebrada de Purmamarca" (canyon of Purmamarca) forms a large valley where flows the Grande de Jujuy river. In the central square of Purmamarca, we can go to the market to discover the artisanal products of the region, we will also visit the main Church which is classified National Monument.

Day 12. Purmamarca - Salta – IguazuFree morning. In the early afternoon we will head to Salta airport to join Iguazu.Our team will welcome you and transfer you to the hotel. The rest of the day will be free.

Day 13. Iguazu Argentinian sideWe leave the hotel and be transferred to the airport of Salta to flight to National Park of Foz de Iguazu. Once arrived our team will pick you up to drive to the hotel.

This park was created in 1934 and measure 55.000 hectares. There are 275 falls from 30 to 80 meters high. An ecologic train and 3 stations have been built in purpose to preserve the environment of each tour. The lower tour (1700m) has 8 belvederes on a terrace which allow a direct contact with the vegetation and the waterfalls.

The higher tour (1200m) which cross from the top part of the waterfalls Dos Hermanas, Chico, Ramírez, Bossetti, Adán y Eva, Bernabé Méndez, and finish in Mbigua and got 6 belvederes where we can appreciate the rainbow formed by the San Martin, Escondido, Dos Mosqueteros, Rivadavia and Tres Mosqueteros waterfalls. We continue toward Puerto Canoas 3 kilometers away from the Iguazu river bank where the third terrace start, from there we the best view on the most impressive waterfalls: La garganta del diablo. In the center of the waterfall there is the island of San Martin where we can walk, 650 meters and 172 steps to access the different panoramas views. We will be able to appreciate the different panoramas like this one use in the movie Mission (1986) take precisely from this spot. We will walk also on the green path (600m), and observe the animal and plants. After this nice and impressive visit, we will go back to the hotel where the rest of the days is free.

Day 14. Iguazu Brazilian sideAfter breakfast we will visit the Iguazu Waterfall Brazilian side. We will discover through the bridge and miradors the Floriano et Teodora da Fonseca waterfalls and finish our visit with the San Martin waterfalls with a complete view on the waterfalls and on San Martin Island. The rest of the day is free.

Day 15. Iguazu – Buenos Aires In the morning we will leave the hotel and be transferred to the airport of Iguazu and flight to Buenos Aires. Once arrived at Buenos Aires airport our team will pick you up and drive you to the hotel. After a short break we will travel to Uruguay in the afternoon.

Our team will take you to the port to take the boat Elaida Isabel which leaves for Colonia in Uruguay. A cold lunch will be served. After lunch, we will take a tour of the Historic part of Montevideo, which has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. We will discover the "Basilia del Santísimo Sacramento" (the Basilica of the Sacrament) built in stone by the Portuguese in 1808, the "Plaza 1811" and the "Plaza Mayor", the "Calle de los Suspiros" (the street of sighs), the "Bastion of San Pedro", the "Portón de Campo" (the portal of the city), the "Polvorín", the "Faro" and the "Real de San Carlos". The tour lasts about ten hours. You will then be transferred to the hotel. The rest of the evening is free.

Day 16. and 17 Buenos Aires – San Antonio de Areco – Buenos Aires After breakfast we will leave to discover the Guacho life style in the village of San Antonio de Areco. We will visit the Estancias, the Guiraldes museum and the Goldfevrerie Draghi, we will be able to appreciate the traditional Gaucho equestrian goldsmith. We will spend one night in San Antonio de Areco and return to Buenos Aires on day 14 in the late afternoon.

Day 18. Buenos Aires departureAccording to your time of departure* you are transferred from the hotel to the airport. For international flights, it is recommended to arrive at the airport 3 hours before scheduled departure. End of our services.

Important: Itinerary can change because of weather conditions and some sights are not accessible at all times – Lipiko Tours cannot be held responsible for any changes in itinerary and sights not visited as a result.

Support Team: English speaking tour leader for the entire tour for groups of 4 people or more. For smaller groups it is possible to book this tour without a tour leader. Instead you would have guided visits with a local guide in chosen language. Please contact us directly to receive a personalized quote.

Departure guaranteed: Group Tour: from 4 people. Individual Tour: from 2 people

Accommodation: 18 nights in hotel.

Porterage: Your luggage will be transported either by plane, car, boat, and bus. You will have to carry the personal belongings (camera, water, etc.) which you need during the day.

Service: For group above 4 people you will be accompanied by a tour leader in the chosen language. His role is to make sure that everything goes smoothly during the tour and that each individual and the group as a whole are safe. Don’t hesitate to ask him if you are unsure of anything and, very important, to follow his advice.

Included in the price: - Water, air and land transfers as indicated in the program - Accommodation in hotel/hostel in double rooms, Ecolodge, shelter, home stay, camping, bus and plane as indicated in the program. - Meals as mentioned in the program - The assistance of specialized local English speaking guides, their fees and expenses - The assistance of our local teams; driver(s) and logistics department (24/7) - Visits as outlined in the program

Not included in the price: - Entrance fees to sites visited, national parks and museums as indicated in the program (allow for approx. 1500 Argentine Peso (Argentian national currency) per person – in Brazil (allow for approx. 150 Brazilian Real (Brazilian national currency) per person – this is an estimate and actual prices may vary) - Meals not mentioned, drinks, tips, individual equipment, everything not mentioned in “included in the price” and all personal expenses - Individual obligatory personal travel insurance (this could be included with your credit card – please check with your credit card provider) - The supplement for a single room: 390 USD (subject to availability, must be reserved and paid upon reservation). Attention; no single room available for the nights with accommodation in shelter, home stay and camping. - Possible visa expenses - International flights

GROUP : Travel in a small group (from 4 to 12 pers. Max), your trip will be guided by local English speaking guide and you can choose among the departure dates available.